Web-feeding mechanism.



W. G. KIRUHHOFP.

WEB FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20,- 1913.

1, 1 08,50 1 Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. KIRCHHOFF, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TOTHEODORE W. REMMERS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

WEB-FEEDING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent. original application filed September 24, 1912, Serial No. 722,062.

Patented Aug. 25, 1914 Dividedand this application filed January 20, 1913. Serial No. 743,180.

-a n1sm adapted to feed a continuous web from one reeling device to another and to reverse the direction of feed when the web has been unwound from one of the reels.

This application is a divisional appliczn tion of my col-pending application filed September 24, 1912, Serial #722,062 for tagaddressing machine wherein my device is shown adapted to feed an inking ril The principal object of my invention is to i provide a simple, strong and positively op erating mechanism for feedinga continuous web and for reversing the direction of feed automatically.

A further object of my invention is to provide a feeding mechanism from which the web may be removed and another substituted with but little trouble.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a mechanism for the purpose described, which operates to hold the web taut or fully extended at all times.

Other and further objects of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out or will be obvious upon an understanding of the device.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved feeding mechanism assembled. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of one of the spools.

My invention contemplates the use of a plurality of spools or reels 1 mounted in suitable supports 2. Each spool is formed with a cylindrical barrel portion 4 containing heads 5 closing its ends. Within the barrel ortion is pivoted a bell crank lever 6 which has a portion 7 adapted to project through a slot in the side of the barrel. A spring 8 tends to swing the bell crank lever on its pivot so as to project the projection through the slot. Upon the depending arm of the spools comprises the pin 10 having the reduced end portion 11 adapted to fit in a suitable seat in one of the headers The pin 10 is removably mounted in a suitable aperture in the support 2 and is held in place by a spring 12 fitting in the groove 14, or other suitable means. At its other end each of the spools is supported by the drum 15 which is journaled for rotary motion in one of the supports 2. At its outer end the drum 15 carries the ratchet wheel 16, and the drum is also pierced with a channel adapted to receive the projecting end portion of the rod 9, whereby the spool 1 is locked to the drum 15 so as to rotate therewith.

The swing of the lever 6 is of extent such that when the projection 7 is forced inward the outer end of the rod 9 will be retracted below the face of the ratchet wheel 15, and when the projection 7 is forced outward by the spring 8 the end of the rod 9 will project beyond the face of the ratchet wheel 16.

Spring-pressed detent pawls 17 mounted upon the supports 2 cooperate with the ratchet wheels 16 to prevent overthrow. The ribbon or web to be fed 18 is supported on guide rollers 13 and is secured at its ends to the spools 1 in any suitable fashion so that by suitable rotation of the spools 1 it may be wound roout their barrel portions 14.

The mechanism for actuating the spools includes a. suitable driving member or prime mover 19 and the oscillating link 20 or other suitable mechanism adapted to produce reciprocatory movement. In the device illustrated the link 20 is pivoted at 21 so that it will be oscillated by thecrank pin 22 carried upon the rotary shaft 19. A reciprocating link 24 is mounted for endwise move ment upon the supports 2 adjacent the ratchet wheels 16, and is adapted to be reciprocated longitudinally by the link 20.

Pivoted at 25 on the reciprocating link 24 are the dogs 26 which are in the form of bell crank levers having one end adapted to cooperate with the teeth of the ratchet wheels 16 and having the end of the other wheel 16.

. end of the shiftable link 28 is a pawl 31 which is adapted to cooperate with the end of the rod 9 of one of'the spools when it is projected beyond the face of the ratchet Upon the other end of the shiftable link 28 is a projection 82 which is adapted to co6perate in a similar fashion with the projecting end of rod 9 on the other spool. When the shiftable link 28 is shifted to the right on the link 24 by virtue of the pivotal connections of the dogs 26, the detent 30 .will engage the left hand notch in the block 29, and the left hand dog 26 will be in engagement with the left hand ratchet wheel 16, and upon reciprocation ofthe link 24 will operate to rotate the left hand ratchet wheel so as to wind the web on the left hand spool. With the link 28 in this position the right hand dog 26 will be out of engagement with the right hand ratchet wheel-16 so as to permit the right .hand spool being rotated by the tension on the web to unwind the web from the right hand spool. The pressure of the web wound upon the spools operates to force the projection 7 on the bell crank lever 6 inward so as to hold the rods 9 retracted. When all of the web is unwound from one of the spools this pressure is removed and the spring 8 will swing the lever 6 to force the end of the rod 9 out beyond the face of the ratchet 16. As the ratchet 16 of the cleared spool is rotated the projecting end of the rod 9 will be brought into contact with the end of the pawl 31 and the further rotation of the ratchet wheel will push the shiftable link 28 longitudinally so as to shift the right hand notch of the block 29 into engagement with the pawl 30, the right hand dog 26 into engagement with the right hand ratchet wheel 16, and the left hand dog 26 out of engagement with the left hand ratchet wheel 16. With the parts in this position the direction of the feed of the web will be reversed from left to right, and the web will .be reeled from the left hand spool to theright hand spooluntil unwound from the former when a similar operation of the bell crank lever 6 and rod 9 will be effected so as to shift the shiftable link 28 to the right again by virtue of the pressure of the projecting end of the rod 9 upon the end of the projection 32 of the shiftable link.

Thus it will be seen that my feeding mechanism operates to feed positively the web from one spool to the other, and automatically to reversethe direction of feed of the web when it has been unreeled from one of the spools.

It is obvious that this form of feeding mechanism is not limited to use with an inking ribbon, but that it may be employed in any instance where an intermittent feed for a continuous web is required.

-It is obvious also that the arrangement of the spools and their mountings is such that they may be easily removed for the purpose of changing the web, but my device is not limited to the specific forms shown and described.

I am aware that the device shown and described may be altered and modified to suit various conditions and purposes, and I therefore do not intend that my invention should be limited to the specific form and device shown and described, but that it shall be construed to comprehend all forms and modifications employing the essential elements or arrangements of parts thereof.

I claim: 1. A web feeding mechanism comprising a combination of reels, ratchet wheels for rotating said reels, a reciprocating link, a shiftable link, dogs carried by saidlinks and adapted to be shifted by relative movement of the links to cooperate with said ratchet wheels, and means for changing the relative positions of said links to throw said dogs into and out of engagement with their respective, ratchet wheels.

2. In a device of the class described in combination, reels adapted to receive a web, movable rods out of operative position in said reels, means operable by a web on said reels for moving said rods, ratchet wheels for driving said reels, a reciprocating memher for driving said reels including a dog adapted to engage each ratchet wheel, and members adapted to cotiperate with said rods to shift said dogs into and out of engagement with said ratchet wheels when the web is unwound from a reel.

3. A. web feeding and reversing mechanism comprising suitable spools for'the re-' caption of a web, feeding means co6perating with each s ool for rotating the same spools for the reception of a web, feeding means ada ted to intermittently rotate said spools to eed the web, shifting means for shifting the operation of said feeding means from one to the other of said spools, and means carried by said spools and controlled by the pressure of the web wound upon said spools and adapted to control the operation of said shifting means upon the exhaustion of the web from a reel. l

5. A web feeding and reversing mechanism comprising the combination of suitable spools for the reception of the Web, means adapted to cooperate selectively with said -spools to rotate the same to feed the web, a shifting mechanism adapted to transfer the operation of said feeding means from one to the other of said spools to reverse the direction of feed, a movable member carried by each of said spools and adapted to cooperate with said shifting mechanism to effect the operation of the same, and means operable by the pressure of the web to retain said movable member in inopera tive position.

6. A web feeding and reversing mechanism comprising the combination of suitable spools for the reception of the web, a feeding mechanism adapted to cooperate with said spools to feed the web, a reversing mechanism including a shiftable link adapted to shift the operation of said feeding mechanism from one to the other of said spools. a movable member carried by each of said spools and adapted when in operative position to cooperate with said shiftable link to reverse the feeding mechanism, means tending to hold said movable members in operative positions, and means operable by the pressure of the web wound upon said spools and adapted to hold said movable members in inoperative position.

7. A web feeding and reversing mechanism comprising the combination of suitable v spools for the reception of the web, a feeding mechanism adapted to coiiperate selectively with said spools to feed the web, a reversing mechanism adapted to shift the operation of said feeding means from one to the other of said spools, said reversing mechanism including a detent adapted to frictionally retain said reversing mechanism ing mechanism adapted to cooperate selectively with said spools to feed the web, a reversing mechanism adapted to shift the operation of said feeding mechanism from one to the other of said spools, said reversing mechanism including a shiftable link and a detent therefor, said shiftable link being movable with the feeding mechanisma rods carried by each of said spools and adapted to be projected into the path of said link to effect the shifting operation, and means on each spool and operable by the web adapted to holdits associated rod out of the path of said link when a portion of the web is wound on its associated spool.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presenceof two witnesses, this 30th day of December, 1912.

WILLIAM G. KIRGHIIOFF.

"Witnesses M. P. SMITH, C. S. BUTLER. 

